


Saturday Come Slow

by ExpressAndAdmirable



Series: The Heroes of Light [4]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Final Fantasy I
Genre: Drow, F/F, Femslash February 2017, Seasickness, Tiefling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:26:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13150494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExpressAndAdmirable/pseuds/ExpressAndAdmirable
Summary: Drow are not meant to be on the open ocean. Lux cares for a very ill Sol. (Featuring art!)





	Saturday Come Slow

**Author's Note:**

> This story was for Femslash February 2017's prompt "Be Inspired!", for which I used the precious drawing Sol's player (@b-e-m-l-t on Tumblr) drew of Lux and Sol.

One thing was miserably clear: Sol Feldryn did not like the ocean.

She had secretly hoped the fight against the kraken would cure her of the sickness, and the focus certainly distracted her for awhile. But even that did not seem to earn her any sea legs – or, more specifically, any sea stomach. Instead, she leaned over the railing at the stern of the Platinum Dawn and retched. Again. She muttered a curse under her breath in a language only she understood. She was entirely too old for this.

The feeling of a gentle hand on her back would normally have startled her, but she was too ill to care. Besides, it could only be one of a half dozen people. She hazarded a glance over her shoulder to find Lux leaning on the railing beside her, a sympathetic half-smile on her face. Sol started to straighten and opened her mouth to greet her, but another wave of nausea took her and she lurched forward once more.

Lux sighed and nodded. “Alright Sol, let’s get you taken care of. Come on.” Carefully, she coaxed the Drow away from the railing and led her bodily towards the centre of the deck. Sol was all too quick to slump to her knees once they got there, thankful she had removed her armour so she could curl into a pitiful foetal position. But Lux was having none of it. She tugged lightly at Sol’s legs until she unfolded and rolled heavily onto her back. “There we go,” Lux comforted softly, stroking Sol’s forehead. “There we go.” Sol moaned in response. Lux nodded. “I know. You’re going to be fine. Close your eyes. Take deep, even breaths and stay still. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Unable to do much else, Sol attempted to follow Lux’s instructions.

It felt like an hour before Sol heard footsteps approach again, followed by the rustle of fabric and leather as someone settled near her head. A moment later, Lux’s familiar contralto: “Hey. Can you sit up for me?” Sol opened her eyes just enough to squint up at the Tiefling, then grunted an affirmative. Slowly, delicately, she pulled herself into a sitting position. From behind her, Lux’s arm appeared, holding a surprisingly fancy teacup.

Sol blinked. “What’s this?” Her voice was hoarse.

“Ginger tea. It’s probably a bit strong, and it’s definitely still hot, so drink it in small sips. It should help.”

With a weak but grateful smile, Sol accepted the teacup and did as she was told. She was surprised to find that the potent smell of ginger wafting from the cup did not turn her stomach. The tea was, indeed, strong. “Where did the cup come from?”

“Found it in the captain’s quarters, along with the rest of the set. Evidently Bikke liked to keep things fancy. There’s some impressive stuff in there.” Lux ran her hand up and down Sol’s back as she spoke, a gesture Sol quietly found emotionally as well as physically comforting. “Is it helping?”

Sol closed her eyes and nodded very slightly. It did seem to be helping, at least a little. “You have some experience with this.”

Lux laughed lightly. “Yeah. I used to get seasick all the time when I was little. My father wanted to take me out with him, so we had to find the best remedies. Ginger helps settle the stomach. Peppermint too, which we also have, so let’s see how you’re feeling in a few minutes. If you’re still queasy I can make a pot of that.”

“I think I’d like to lie down again.” Sol finished the last of the tea and set the cup carefully on the deck. The nausea had lessened distinctly, but it was not gone.

“Sure.” Lux scooted to the side, out of Sol’s way. “Keep breathing deeply and evenly, it helps reset your equilibrium. If you think you’re going to hurl, do it in this.” She lifted a metal bucket she had procured from somewhere else on the ship during her exploration. “Going to the rails will throw you off again; the boat rocks more at the edges.” She paused. “Should I leave you be?”

Sol looked over her shoulder at the Tiefling. She smiled softly. “You’re welcome to stay.” Visibly pleased, Lux laced her hands behind her neck and stretched out. After a moment of consideration, Sol shifted to rest her head on Lux’s stomach, keeping her breathing measured. Lux yawned, and slept.

* * *

Afternoon had made its way to evening by the time Lux woke from her nap. There was no weight on her midsection, and when she opened her eyes, it took her a moment to locate Sol. The Drow had ventured toward the bow of the ship and stood with her arms folded, focused on the sunset. She didn’t look about to topple over, so Lux considered that a win. The other members of their party were scattered about the rest of the ship: Feldon had the wheel, Bornelius sat in meditation near the stern with Francis at his side, and the clatter of tools and the smell of cooking vegetables floated up from below decks. Dinner would be soon, provided no-one set themselves on fire in the process.

Lux stretched languidly and got to her feet. She had left her surcoat and belt in an unceremonious pile near the captain’s cabin, and she returned to them to fish her cigarette box from a pouch. Spiced herbs mixed with ocean air as she lit and inhaled. They were set to sail for another full day and arrive at Aelfheim the morning after. Plenty of time for everyone to relax, write music, study, talk… or slowly fret themselves into a fit. Lux’s gaze wandered back to Sol. She stood.

A light breeze from the north carried the smoke from Lux’s cigarette, announcing her approach. Sol turned slightly to acknowledge her. Lux smiled. “Looks like you’re feeling better.”

“Yes, quite. Thank you.” Sol mustered a thin smile in return. Her mind was far away, plagued by a thousand dark things, but the Tiefling did not deserve to bear the brunt of them. “You slept awhile.”

Lux exhaled a lazy smoke ring before replying. “Apparently. I find being on the water calming. Maybe in time, you’ll grow into it.” Sol gratified her with a small laugh and a shake of her head, but both their smiles quickly faded. Lux scrutinised the Drow’s face as she in turn scanned the horizon; her thoughts were not as hidden as she would have preferred, or perhaps Lux was simply better at reading them. “It’s going to be okay in Aelfheim,” Lux offered. For once, her words came haltingly. “We’re there on official business, they can’t deny us. And I– we will be watching your back. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

“It’s just one of many places my people are unwelcome,” Sol replied, but her flippancy rang false. She softened. “But it will be good not to be there alone.”

For a time they stood in silence, arms folded but for Lux’s occasional drag on her cigarette, watching the sun disappear and the sky change colour. Suddenly Sol felt a light tug on her long braid. Startled, she whipped her head around… to find Lux’s tail toying with the end of her hair. Sol looked up at Lux, who looked innocently out to sea. Sol smirked. So did Lux.

They watched the water.

**Author's Note:**

> Title song by Massive Attack.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr at @expressandadmirable for a proper table of contents for the Heroes campaign, commissioned character art, text-based roleplay snippets and more!


End file.
